A77976:105
The Evil of Evils
The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is showed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poison, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwin, William Bridge, Sydrach Simpson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nigh, John Yates.The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is shewed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Bridge, Sydrach Sympson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nye, John Yates.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Ninth Consectory.
Lastly, if sin have no good at all in it; hence then when there is a temptation to sin there needs no deliberation about it, whether it should be admitted or not; if once thou knowest it to be a sin, thou needest not Reason the condition of admission or not, or what will follow, but presently reject it, without deliberation. Why? because there is no good in it; any thing that hath but a little good, we may (though a greater good be offered) deliberate the business before we accept of the one, & cast off the other, but if there be no good there needs no deliberation, if any thing be pronounced to be sin, to be prejudicial to the estate of thy soul, This must not be deliberated upon. Therefore this is a vain plea that men have, what kind of *Government must we have if this be taken away? First examine if this be evil or not evil that we have, if evil, it must be rejected without deliberation what we must have in the stead. Indeed if it▪ were good we might deliberate, but if be it evil and ⟨p. 30⟩a sin, it must be cast off without deliberation. Brethren, it is of great use this I speak of, because that strength sin hath usually got, is from deliberation about it. I beseech you observe this; Take heed for ever of reasoning with Temptation, of consulting and casting about in your thoughts, what will become of it? what trouble may come by this if I hearken not to this? Take heed of reasoning, if the Devil do but get you to reason about it, he hath got it half granted already: you need not reason with any temptation, but cast it off presently, because sin hath no good in it. Oh that God would convince all our hearts of these things.